Reductionism

• P- the Learning theory has been criticised for being reductionist to
• E- this is because it reduces the complexities of human attachment behaviour down to simple concepts such as association
• E- one weakness is that it doesn’t account for the role biology or evolutionary behaviours may play in attachment types
• E- for example bowlby argues that attachments form because they are adaptive and promote survival. This is something the learning theory approach doesn’t account for in its explanation
• L- as a consequence learning theory doesn’t offer a full account as to why attachments form. Therefore its explanatory power is reduced when explaining the formations of attachment